Carbon footprint of apple and pear : orchards, storage and distribution

Apple and pear represent 51% of fresh fruit orchards in Portugal. This paper presents a life-cycle (LC) greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment (so-called carbon footprint) of 3 apple and 1 pear Portuguese production systems. An LC model and inventory were implemented, encompassing the farm stage (cultivation of fruit trees in orchards), storage and distribution (transport to retail). The functional unit considered in this study was 1 kg of distributed fruit (at retail). Four different LC inventories for orchards were implemented based on data collected from three farms. Inventory data from two storage companies were also gathered. The main results show that the GHG emissions of apple and pear ranged between 192 and 229 gCO2eq kgfruit-1. The GHG emissions (direct and indirect) from the cultivation phase ranged from 36% to 60% of total emissions. Fruit storage, which lasted for as much as 8-10 months, was also responsible for significant emissions due to high energy requirements

Mejora de las propiedades químicas del aceite de Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) por interesterificación enzimática

Although Amazonian oils present great potential for various applications, they have not been extensively explored for commercial use. In this study, the effects of enzymatic interesterification of buriti oil in relation to its triacylglycerol composition, regiospecific distribution of fatty acids, and minority compounds were evaluated. The results indicated that the lipase used in the reaction showed higher specificity for oleic acid and the sn-1 and sn-3 positions of triacylglycerol, generating more unsaturated structured lipids. There were increases of 11% and 12.5% in unsaturated-unsaturated-unsaturated triacylglycerol types and reductions of 12.1% and 16.2% in saturated-unsaturated-unsaturated triacylglycerol types after 6 and 24 hours of reaction, respectively. At 24 h of reaction, the structured lipid formed was totally unsaturated at the three triacylglycerol positions. In addition, as the reaction conditions were mild, the carotenoids and phenolic compounds were maintained in the structured lipids. The results indicate that the enzymatic interesterification can be an alternative to produce structured lipids with new functionalities, and diversify the application of this oil from the Amazon.Aunque los aceites amazónicos presentan un gran potencial de aplicación, están poco explorados comercialmente. En este estudio, se evaluaron los efectos de la interesterificación enzimática del aceite de Buriti en relación con la composición en triacilglicerol, la distribución regioespecífica de ácidos grasos y compuestos minoritarios. Los resultados indicaron que la lipasa usada en la reacción mostró una mayor especificidad para el ácido oleico y las posiciones sn-1 y sn-3 del triacilglicerol, generando más lípidos estructurados insaturados. Hubo un aumento entre 11,0% - 12,5% en el tipo de triacilgliceroles insaturados-insaturados-insaturados y una reducción de 12,1% - 16,2% en los triacilgliceroles saturados-insaturados-insaturados después de 6 y 24 horas de reacción, respectivamente. A las 24 h de reacción, el lípido estructurado formado estaba totalmente insaturado en las tres posiciones del triacilglicerol. Además, como las condiciones de reacción fueron suaves, los compuestos carotenoides y fenólicos se conservaron en los lípidos estructurados. Los resultados indicaron que la interesterificación enzimática puede ser una alternativa para producir lípidos estructurados con nuevas funcionalidades, diversificando la aplicación de este aceite del Amazonas

Vascular Flora Of The Legado Das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, Municipalities Of Tapiraí, Miracatú And Juquiá, São Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)We present a list of vascular plants found in Legado das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, a private reserve having an area of approximately 35,000 ha that spans the municipalities of Tapiraí, Miracatú, and Juquiá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The reserve is part of a complex of state-protected areas including Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park, Intervales State Park, Carlos Botelho State Park, Jurupará State Park, and Serra do Mar State Park. Together, these form an important and large area of continuous and well-preserved forest. Our study, which involved two main floristic surveys in March/April 2013 and April 2014, recorded 768 species, representing 131 families and 432 genera. The majority of species were angiosperms (619) representing 106 families and 370 genera. There were also two species of gymnosperms belonging to two genera in separate families; 147 species of ferns and lycophytes belonging to 23 families and 60 genera. In demonstrating the presence of almost 800 species of plants, of which 16 are threatened, our study highlights the importance of floristic surveys and the critical role of private protected areas in managing and preserving native flora. © 2016 Check List and Authors.1262011/22923-8, FAPESP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo2015/9444-4, FAPESP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP